An octree is a data structure that may be used to store and access three-dimensional (“3D”) data. Octrees may divide the 3D data in to 8 sections or octants. Various 3D graphic and gaming systems use octree data structures. Triangle meshes are another data structure that may be used to store and access 3D data. In a triangle mesh, triangles are connected at their vertices to form a 3D representation of data. Triangle meshes may be used by various graphics and modeling systems.
A triangle mesh representing a large portion of the world, as in a map or virtual world, may encompass so much data that it is difficult for a single client machine to manipulate or use efficiently. In some example, large triangle meshes or a large virtual world may be divided into smaller portions which can be fetched, decoded, and drawn in realtime.